The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-02
A STUDY OF A BLUE-JAY.

Investigating everything in the room IS
one of my birds greatest pleasures, and
most attractive of all he finds the drawer
Of my desk, on the edge of which he
stands delighted and bewildered by the
variety before him. Great would be the
havoc il I were not there; and the curl
GUS thing about it is, that he will pull
things over carelessly, with one eye on
me, to see il I object. If, on touching
some particular thing, he sees that I do
not approve-and he recognizes my SEN
timent as quickly as bright child would
that thing and that only, he will have.
At once he snatches it and flies across
the room, and may chase him in vain.
He regards it as frolic gotten up for his
amusement, and no child ever equaled
him in lodging; he cannot be driven, and
if cornered he uses his wings. I simply
put my wits against his, follow him about
till he has to drop his load to breathe,
when sudden start sends him off, and I
secure it. If I cover up anything, he
knows at once it is some forbidden treas
ure, and devotes all bis energy and cum
ming, which are great, to uncovering and
possessing himself of it. He opens any
box by delivering sharp blows under the
edge of the cover, and hides my postage
stamps in books and magazines. He hops
around the floor in heavy way, as often
sideways as straight, and holds his toes
as close together as though he had worn
tight boots all his life. IL startled, he
bounds up into the air in the oldest way,
foot or two, or even more, generally
turning half around and coming down
with his head the other way. II much
alarmed, he will bounce up in this way
half dozen times in quick succession,
and should he happen to be on a table at
the time he usually ends by landing on
the floor. His alighting after any fight
is most singular; he comes to the floor in
erouehing position, legs eprawled, body
horizontal, and nearly touching the mat
ting, looking like bird gone mad; then
instantly springs up six or eight inches,
half turns, add stands upright, crest
erect, and looking excited, almost fright
ened. If much disturbed, he comes
down with wings half open, tail held up
and every feather awry, as if he were out
in a gale. huttering at the same time q
loud squawk. He is most expert catch.
er, not only seizing without fail canary
seed thrown to him, but even futterine
bits of falling paper, the hardest of all
things to catch.
The blue jay is bird Of opinions about
most things, and able to express himself
quite clearly; as for example, when he
found himself under a chair without
rounds, on which he likes to perch, he
stood and looked around on every side
and made low, complaining cry, plainly
a protest against SO unnatural a chair
and again when he scolded at the rain
that came in sudden gusts against the
window, or charged furiously at the crack
under a door when he heard sweeping
outside. In general he is very quiet
when one is in the room, but the moment
the door closes behind the last person his
voice is heard, whistling exactly like 6
boy, calling, squawking, and occasionally
uttering a sweet though not loud song,
which is varied by sound like rubbing
cork against glass. The most quiet
approach silences him. When under
strong emotion he may squawk or scream
before spectators, but he never whistles
or sings when he knows any one is in the
room. When out OF sight and so long silen
that he has forgotten me, have now anC
then heard the song.
The funniest thing this knowing fel
low does is to stamp his feet, and it is
genuine expression of impotence or dis
pleasure. When l take something ava,
from him, or he thinks L mean to do 80
or refuse him something he wants, h
stands still, and jerks his feet in such
way that they stamp with loud sound
as if they were of iron. 1t is very droll
In serious anger, he adds to this bowing
and curtsying by bending the legs, snap
ping the bill, pecking and jumping III
with the body without lifting the feet
Olive 4. Miller, IN Atlantic.